Jean-Baptiste Dupont

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Born in 1979, Jean-Baptiste Dupont began his musical studies at the piano. He discovered the organ later, at the age of 12 and began organ studies at the Institute of Sacred Music of Toulouse. He graduated with distinction from the organ departement at the Conservatoire in Toulouse. As one of the top alumni of the Conservatoire, he was awarded the Francis Vidal prize by the city of Toulouse in 2006 and subsequently continued his studies at the Centre d’Etudes Supérieures de Musique et Danse in Toulouse. Jean-Baptiste Dupont’s organ, improvisation, harpsichord and piano teachers included Michel Bouvard, Louis Robilliard, Philippe Lefebvre, Jan Willem Jansen and Thérèse Dussaut.

He was finalist in several organ competitions, both in interpretation and improvisation. He won the 3rd prize in “Xavier Darasse” international competition (Toulouse, France) in October 2008 ; 2nd prize + audience prize in "Mikael Tariverdiev" competition in Kaliningrad, Russia, 2009 ; and the 1st prize (improvisation) in St-Albans international competition in July 2009.

Jean-Baptiste Dupont has a broad repertoire ranging from the renaissance to the present day, much of it from the 19th ad 20th century. Continuing in the traditions of César Franck, Jean-Baptiste Dupont has been hailed as one of the greatest young improvisers on the organ. He is also a composer.

Jean-Baptiste Dupont maintains a busy concert schedule, performing thoughout Europe, Russia and USA. He is a frequent guest performer at several international festivals, radios, etc. As a specialist of improvisaions, he’s regularly invited to give Masterclasses and Workshop on that subject. He has been a Jury member in competitions in USA and Germany.

Passionate about the art of organ building, and about organ archaeology, he has worked with consultants on many organ restoration projects. He also worked with organ-builders to perfect his knowledge of this instrument. He inventoried the organs in Midi-Pyrenees Region (South-West of France). He has contributed to several books about organ builders from the 19th century in Midi-Pyrenees.

Jean-Baptiste Dupont is organist of Bordeaux Cathedral since april 2012.

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« … un moment que les mélomanes et amateurs de musique sacrée ne sauraient manquer ! »
"A moment which lovers of music and amateurs of sacred music should not miss."
dépêche du Midi, 4 mai 2001

« Jean-Baptiste Dupont a, pour sa technique et sa virtuosité, fait sortir du « Vincent Cavaillé-Coll » de Valence toutes ses possibilités. »
"The technique and virtuosity of JBD, exploited the full potential of the organ..."
Le Courrier Français, 19/09/02

« The recital was a classic example of an exceptional young organist who knows both the instrument and the pieces like old friends and who brings them together with a sense of inevitability and panache. It was a most exiting and rewarding occasion… A most memorable experience… . I am sure we will be hearing a lot more of Jean-Baptiste Dupont. »
The Organ n°326 ; Novembre 2003

« The stirring finale, Tu es Petra, was played with brilliance and panache. However, it was in his two improvisations on themes by Vaughan Williams and Holst that Jean-Baptiste Dupont revealed his real strengths. His improvisation on the Jupiter movement of "Holst's The Planets" showed imagination and flair with passages of serene mysticism and flamboyance. Dupont is an organist of exceptional merit... »
R.J., Gloucestershire Echo ; 17 août 2004

« Superbe concert avec Jean-Baptiste Dupont. Son talent est à la hauteur de l'instrument qu'il sait dompter… »
"superb recital with Jean-Baptiste Dupont. His talent is up to the instrument that he knows how to overcome".
Le dauphiné libéré ; août 2006

« Son jeu a séduit le public [...] à la fois admiratif et attentif.… »
"His playing seduced an admirative and attenvive public"
Sud Ouest, 29 août 2007

« He courageously avoided the more cliched aspects of organ improvisation, in favour of a more tone-poem approach which was a delight to behold...… »
The Organ n°342, novembre 2007

« L'orgue était confié aux doigts de fée de Jean-Baptiste Dupont qui, dans des improvisations sur des "Noëls populaires", joua les apprentis sorciers pour nous faire visiter Messiaen et Debussy, aux accents célestes mais surtout terriblement contemporains et novateurs. »
La Dépêche, 19 décembre 2008

« Jean-Baptiste Dupont joins the line of great French improvisers. »
Choir and Organ, September/October 2009

«Two hours of an extremely stirring music on a very moving film [...]. An authentic "Tour de Force"...»
about the improvisation on the silent movie Visages d'Enfants, during Toulouse les Orgues Festival 2009 - M.R., concertclassic.com, 16/10/2009

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REPERTOIRE :

Jean-Baptiste Dupont plays works from following composers :

Organ solo :

Jehan ALAIN, Tomaso ALBINONI, Johann-Sebastian BACH, Léon BOELLMANN, Jean BOUVARD, Johannes BRAHMS, Nicholaus BRUHNS, Dietrich BUXTEHUDE, Antonio de CABEZON, Pierre CAMONIN, Louis Nicolas CLERAMBAULT, François COUPERIN, Francisco Correa de ARAUXO, Jean-François DANDRIEU, Louis-Claude DAQUIN, Théodore DUBOIS, Marcel DUPRE, Maurice DURUFLE, Edward ELGAR, Guy-Olivier FERLA, Andre FLEURY, César FRANCK, Girolamo FRESCOBALDI, Eugène GIGOUT, Charles GOUNOD, Edvard GRIEG, Nicolas de GRIGNY, Jean GUILLOU, Alexandre GUILMANT, Naji HAKIM, Anton HEILER, Gustav HOLST, Sigfried KARG-ELERT, Yves LAFARGUE, Jean LANGLAIS, Franz LISZT, Louis MARCHAND, Benoît MERNIER, Félix MENDELSOHN, Olivier MESSIAEN, Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART, Henry MULET, Johann PACHELBEL, Sergei RACHMANINOFF, Joseph RHEINBERGER, Max REGER, Guy ROPARTZ, Heinrich SCHEIDEMANN, Franz SCHUBERT, John STANLEY, Jan Pieterszoon SWEELINCK, Mikael TARIVERDIEV, Charles TOURNEMIRE, Franz TUNDER, Pierre VIDAL, Louis VIERNE, Charles Marie WIDOR, José XIMENEZ.

Organ + :

Jehan ALAIN, Johann-Sebastian BACH, Marc BLEUSE, John BLOW, Jean BOUVARD, Marc-Antoine CHARPENTIER, Michel CORRETTE, CIMAROSA, Daniel DANIELIS, François DOPPLER, George DYSON, Philippe FENELON, César FRANCK, Christoph W. GLUCK, Charles GOUNOD, Georg-Friedrich HAENDEL, Joseph HAYDN, Herbert HOWELLS, Sigfried KARG-ELERT, Ernesto KÖHLER, Jean LANGLAIS, Franz LISZT, Paolo LORENZANI, Colin MAWBY, Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART, Marc OPSTAD, Guy ROPARTZ, John RUTTER, Franz SCHUBERT, Heinrich SCHÜTZ, Georg-Philip TELEMANN, Antonio VIVALDI, Kurt WEILL, David WILLCOCKS.

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